Issue 89, May 2013

Welcome to your May 2013 E-newsletter of events, training, news, publications and recruitment opportunities in the built environment sector.

News

National Solar Centre opened by Energy and Climate Change Minister

The BRE National Solar Centre in St Austell was opened on 25 April by the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker. The Centre will support the UK solar industry in becoming a significant contributor in the energy marketplace. More…

Major Chinese developer and BRE join forces

Chinese state-owned developer, Shanghai International Shipping Services Centre (SISSC), and BRE have signed an agreement designed to promote and grow sustainable construction in China. The partners will initially collaborate on SISSC’s £4 billion flagship commercial marina development on the Huangpu River. Other UK companies will be encouraged to join the project. More…

TTF and BRE to collaborate on responsible sourcing standards

The Timber Trades Federation (TTF) and BRE have met to discuss closer collaboration on the continuing development of responsible sourcing standards. Both want standards which will ensure that procurement and supply chain management processes are as robust and reliable as possible. The BES 6001 responsible sourcing standard is due for updating this year and has been out for public consultation. The consultation outcomes will be discussed at a stakeholders' meeting at BRE Watford on 4 June. To attend email liveseyk@bre.co.uk

A little known chapter in the Dambusters’ story is revealed

The 70th anniversary of the legendary Dambusters’ raid was celebrated recently. Whilst the raid’s outcome is well known, the early role of BRE in this story has been little reported because of the secrecy that surrounded it. That role included building and testing, for Barnes Wallis, a 1/50 scale model of the Möhne Dam. The model remains at BRE’s Watford site, where modelling (both physical and computational) is still used to provide innovative solutions. This part of the Dambusters’ story is told here.

See us in the Green Room at Housing 2013

This year’s Chartered Institute of Housing Annual Conference and Exhibition, the leading social and affordable housing event in the UK, is being held on 25-27 June in Manchester. The event brings 7,600 housing professionals and more than 300 key suppliers together under one roof. BRE is a participant in the event’s Green Room. Join us there any time during the three days of the show for updates on BREEAM Domestic Refurbishment and BREEAM Communities. More…

Two new houses for Scotland’s Innovation Park

Work will shortly begin on two new houses at the BRE Innovation Park @ Ravenscraig. The ‘Refurbished House’, a traditional four-in-a-block dwelling, will be a live research and test facility to identify refurbishment solutions that meet performance and cost targets. Different retrofit solutions for the four apartments will be monitored over a period of two years. Meanwhile, first and second year architectural design and technology students from Motherwell College are designing the flexible and environmentally sustainable ‘Curriculum House’. More…

New software helps simplify EPCs and Green Deal assessments

BRE has created the first modules of a suite of software to help Domestic Energy Assessors and Green Deal Advisors. The core of the software is made up of three modules that have been developed in response to calls for a more efficient and connected way to assess energy, and also to better understand Green Deal potential. More…

OPEN BIM network and BuildingSMART join forces

The UK’s primary network for BIM users, OPEN BIM, is joining forces with BuildingSMART UKI, which provides the standards and protocols that are driving the adoption of OPEN BIM in line with Government targets. BRE and BuildingSMART Director, Nick Tune said, “Getting the users and technical people together in this way means we can create the most effective, user-friendly standards that will help the construction industry to realise the benefits of BIM – it's a very strong dynamic.” More…

Designing twenty first century homes

NHBC Foundation's 50th research report, Designing homes for the 21st Century – lessons for low energy design, looks at how to improve processes and decisions to achieve cost-effective, robust and functional low energy design. It advocates a fabric-first approach, making sure that insulation, airtightness and ventilation are designed to give the best practical performance before low carbon technologies are applied. The report can be viewed and downloaded here.

	From the BRE experts: Fire safety design – getting lobbies right BRE experts share their knowledge. The design of ground-floor, protected stair lobbies is an important factor when calculating how many occupants can safely escape from a multi-storey building in the event of a fire. The location of building (storey) exits associated with lobbies can be the source of simple design errors that will significantly reduce the calculated escape capacity of the building. But these can be easily remedied, as James Lavender a Principal Fire Engineer at BRE explains. Read on…

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Events and training

Biological waste management in the built environment

6 June in Cambridge
Event on the integration of biology in the built environment with a specific focus on how waste can be managed. More…

Thinking low carbon

10 June at Barnsley College
‘Passivhaus – Low Energy Design Solutions’ is one of series of interactive seminars and workshops aimed at businesses working across the built environment and sustainability sectors, which are looking to develop skills and knowledge. More…

Solving the Empty Homes Challenge

12 June at BRE Watford
TV presenter George Clarke will address the empty homes issue at a conference that will examine some of the larger scale solutions currently being implemented, address financing, technical and community issues, and demonstrate what can be achieved with recent success stories. More…

Cross laminated timber (CLT), glulam and local timber in the built environment

12 June in Chelmsford
Includes an overview of timber technologies and the benefits of timber plus case studies. More…

Passivhaus Introduction and Workshop

20 June at BRE Watford
Introductory course and workshop aimed at all those with an interest in low-energy design, construction and the Passivhaus standard. More…

COBie training – Construction Operations Building information exchange

24 June at BRE Watford
Course providing a broad understanding of COBie. More…

Energy management

24-25 June at BRE Watford
How to understand where and how an organisation uses energy and what opportunities there are for cost-effective reductions in energy use. More…

Environmental Assessment Methods workshop: from Buildings to Communities

17 July at the University of Reading
Event for local planning authorities wanting to achieve the economic, social and environmental gains of sustainable development. Includes talks from developers, planners, and academics on the Code for Sustainable Homes and BREEAM. Email s.j.weller@reading.ac.uk

SMARTWaste Plan and SWMP training

A series of events on complying with Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) regulations and training on how to use the free web based tool SMARTWaste Plan. More…

BRE Health Conference

10 September at BRE Watford
Free-to-attend conference on keeping people out of hospital through health, safety, support, and care in the home. Presenters include Gentoo, Liverpool City Council and Newcastle University, with a key note address from David Pencheon, Director of the Sustainable Development Unit for the NHS. To register your interest email events@bre.co.uk

Building for people – INSITE13

2-3 October at BRE Watford
Providing the buildings, environments and technologies that people and communities want and can use is the theme of INSITE13, with a particular focus on four key areas – Behavioural change, Communities, Impact of buildings on people/health, and Technology advancement. Register your interest now at www.insite13.com

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Publications

Fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multi-storey buildings

BRE has updated its guidance (BR 135) on the fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multi-storey buildings. The newly published third edition reflects changing drivers in the construction market, such as the increased use of external wall cladding systems in the newbuild market and increasing thermal performance requirements. More…

Energy surveys and audits: a guide to best practice

This new Information Paper brings together BRE’s wide-ranging knowledge and experience in energy surveys and auditing. It highlights the issues that need to be considered and directs the reader to more detailed technical information where appropriate. More…

For full details of a vast range of construction and built environment publications visit www.BREBookshop.com

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Recruitment

BRE has a range of career opportunities in science, engineering and administrative disciplines. For more information click here.

Energy and Climate Change Minister opens BRE National Solar Centre. More…

An agreement signed by SISSC’s Mr He, and BRE’s Peter Bonfield will help UK companies to demonstrate their expertise, products and technologies in China. More…

A little known chapter in the Dambusters’ story is revealed here.

‘The Refurbished House’ one of two new houses at the BRE Innovation Park @ Ravenscraig.

See us in the Green Room at Housing 2013. More…

Senior Housing Executives: Have your say on the future of sustainable housing
with key housing sector figures at ICE on 3 June.

TV presenter George Clarke will address the empty homes issue at a conference on 12 June. More…

Building for people is the theme of INSITE13

BRE has updated its guidance (BR 135) on the fire performance of external thermal insulation for walls of multi-storey buildings. More…

A new Information Paper brings together BRE’s wide-ranging knowledge and experience in energy surveys and auditing. More…

See and buy the full range of publications from the BRE Group at our online bookshop, open 24 hours a day, every day, More

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